Flooring Options

Written by: Daniel Kassebaum

Choosing flooring is a design decision that can drastically change the look and feel of your home. I put together some tips to help choose the best flooring type, whether it's hardwood, laminate, tile or vinyl, see which one will fit both your needs and your budget.

Wood Flooring

Wood flooring consists of both hardwood and laminate flooring options. While many people want the look and character of wood, but want to keep their budgets at bay, laminate flooring has been a comparable option. For those who want the appeal of real wood, you can choose from solid or engineered, but these will need larger budgets.

Solid Hardwood

Solid hardwood floors are made up of one solid piece of wood that have tongue and groove sides. Solid wood floors are sensitive to moisture and is not recommended for installation below ground level or directly over a concrete slab. One of the many benefits of solid wood flooring is that it can be sanded and refinished many times.

Details

Price: $3 - $12 / sq ft

Quality: 4 of 5

Look: 5 of 5

Durability: 3 of 5

Maintenance: High

Installation: Professional Recommended

Room Recommendations:
Kitchen, Most Living Areas

Pros

Beautiful, warm, timeless look

Increases home value

Lasts longer and repairs easily

Cons

Engineered Hardwood

Engineered hardwood is constructed with a layer of wood veneer glued and heat pressed to plywood. These layers are stacked on top of each other with each layer facing perpendicular to each other. By design, engineered hardwood becomes less susceptible to the effects of moisture and temperature fluctuations. If you want hardwood floors in your basement or on top of concrete slab, engineered wood floors are your best option. Moisture barriers over concrete is always recommended.

Cons

Laminate Flooring

Wood laminate is composed of four main parts: the wear layer, a printed image of a wood plank, the core layer and a stabilizing layer. The best quality laminates use a process called "embossing in register," where the texture pattern follows the grain in the image, creating an even more realistic look and feel. Laminate is a great choice for the do-it-yourselfers out there.

Cons

Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl flooring is made from multiple chemical compounds, such as the material that makes up pvc piping, and is virtually maintenance free. For a very affordable option with a lot of variety, vinyl flooring is a great choice.

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